A Tree Climbing
by Yonahdoxie57
Summary: After a fast argument a self-loathing angel, recently turned human, storms out of the bunker in search of something to prove to himself that he isn't weak leaving behind an anxious Dean. Cas won't be walking back to the bunker after this little test of courage goes wrong. Destiel feels, no smut, some Sam, no spoilers, fluffy and whumpy just the way I like it.


I love writing long detailed whumpage tales about our favorite Supernatural starcrossed almost-lovers in their own universe. But I thought I would challenge myself and write some fantastic one-shots! No smut, no true AUs, each one unique, multiple settings, a few cameos, and different points of view. Just a study in different ways Dean and Castiel might finally figure out they like each other in various situations. Every one-shot in the series is rated T because I think the show would be rated T if it were a fanfiction and my writing includes blood, violence and swearing just like the show. Lastly, I don't own anything having to do with Supernatural, its plot or beautiful character development.

Enjoy, dear reader!

A Tree Climbing

Castiel had confidence in himself, well, sort of. Afterall, the tree was nowhere near the size of other trees he had seen on his vast adventures. He felt compelled to climb it, just to see if he had the strength to do so. So he began determining the best way up the trunk.

Since Cas had lost his angelic grace and became human he felt Dean and Sam were treating him more and more like a fledgling, or rather, in this case, a I no. He couldn't stand for it. What's worse was when he treated himself like a fragile infant. He went for the easy targets when they would take down a vampire nest. He wouldn't get far away enough from the brothers so they wouldn't be able to come help if he got cornered in a werewolf situation. He was ashamed, but he never took the front lines when they encountered a witch. He was always at least hiding behind Dean if not Dean and Sam's height.

So, he stormed out of the bunker after a particularly rough conversation with Dean over his coffee only to find himself face to face with the daunting task of climbing the tallest tree he could find. Cas recalled Dean's words from the argument he had just had with him. Dean was trying to say that he just needed time to get stronger. He told Cas he was being too impatient and that he would get better overtime. Cas, regretfully, did not react well.

"Well it's not working!" Cas crossed his arms and humfed.

"What's not working? Waiting?" Dean leaned on the bunker's kitchen table where the coffee sat steaming.

"Yes, that's it exactly."

"Dude, we don't get to control that. You just have to keep working hard at it. Let us help you out." Dean was trying to reason with him gently but Cas was beyond frustrated before the conversation even started.

"Maybe my teachers can't teach such a damned weakling!"

"Cas, no, don't say that about yourself." Dean let one hand loose of the mug and reached across the table to comfort his best friend. Cas ignored the gesture and slammed his hands on the table instead. Then he broke out of the kitchen and straight out the front door of the bunker in his pajamas. Dean repeatedly called after him but nothing could stop the self loathing angel from storming out.

After about an hour had passed and Sam had questioned Dean what they were arguing about, Dean decided he had waited long enough and he would go out to look for the fallen angel.

Fallen indeed. Dean walked around the woods that surrounded the bunker and saw Cas laying at the foot of the tallest tree in the area. It was late fall so most of the trees were bare and the ground cover was minimal. Finding the blue gray pajamas wasn't hard for the hunter's eyes.

"Cas, no." He whispered to himself at first upon spotting him but then he realized something was wrong. "CAS! Jesus, Cas!" Dean yelled as he jumped over dry branches and dead bushes to get to his comrade. Once there, he fell to his knees not minding the dirt and carefully turned Cas upright and curled him into his arms. Castiel's body was cold and his skin felt thin like fresh sheets. Dean felt his body shiver so he didn't have to check his neck to see if he had a pulse. Dean managed to slide his unzipped coat off and lay it over the fallen angel.

"Hey, buddy, Cas, hey-hey-hey talk to me, please Cas. Why would you sleep out here?" Dean pleaded and tried a light joke while he placed a warm hand on Castiel's opposite cheek and lightly tapped. When that didn't work he pulled his hand away and felt the stickiness on his fingertips. There was some mostly dried blood in Cas' hair just behind his temple.

"Cas? What happened? The fuck did you do?!? CAS!!" Dean saw tears in his pajamas and scratches on various places of his body. Dean was more alert now. He looked around frantically to see for any sign of a struggle when he noticed a broken branch nearby. He followed the tree trunk up and up and up to find a whole trail of half broken limbs and sticks hanging by a thread. While Dean's eyes were still upward staring and trying to determine how far Cas fell, it was at least three stories, a weak voice mumbled.

"D...Dean…?" The humanoid angel's eyes were still closed. This brought Dean's thoughts back to the ground and he gripped onto Cas tighter to reground him into reality.

"Cas? Hey-hey, hey buddy…" He started gently but the big brother tone was well on its way. "You okay?" He begged.

"I...I believe so." He blinked his eyes open but squinted the eye on the side with the injury.

"Good. Because I'm gonna pummel you!" Big bro Dean was in full swing as he shook Castiel's shoulders. "The fuck do you think you were doing?!" Cas didn't reply but just looked on confused. "I mean, shit! You're a dumbass you know that?!"

"Yes, Dean." Cas agreed way to easily.

Dean yelled louder now. "No, no, no! Don't you do that! Don't roll over and just take it! You're a fucking leader of angelic armies! You're the beast that can take down archangels and stand in the way of the devil himself! You've saved me countless times. You… You are so damn impressive and you don't even know how much I…" Dean paused to look at Cas' unidentified expression. "How much I feel… intimidated by you."

"Dean, I'm not any of those things." Cas looked away, disappointed.

"You are. Listen, Cas, nothing you ever did was because you were a angel. You did them because you were you. And I really like that about you." Dean calmed down more avoiding direct eye contact.

"Th-thank you, Dean." Castiel voiced. "I guess that is partly true."

"And stop going around trying to prove yourself or some shit!" Dean demanded. Castiel was surprised he figured out what he was doing up in the tree. "Promise me you won't ever do stupid shit like this again! You got it?"

Cas looked ashamed. "I promise Dean. How did you find me?"

"Because, I know you." Dean answered quickly and turned a little red in the face.

"Dean, are you alright? Your face to becoming reddened." Castiel sounded like an angel again.

"Shit. No. Yes! I'm fine!" Dean yelled. Dean's mind was traveling a mile a minute. The thoughts that he normally suppressed about his best friend boiled up for the hour he waited for him to return to the bunker. Sam had to talk him down from going to look for him right away. Maybe if he had Cas wouldn't have gotten hurt. So now, fresh guilt mixed with years of unresolved emotions and repressed thoughts.

"Dean? What's wrong?" Cas leaned up closer to Dean's face. Dean tucked his chin to his own chest and squeezed his eyes shut but a few hot tears escaped anyway. "... Dean. You're, crying."

"I...I can't lose you. Cas, you can't… You gotta stop getting hurt and dying or lost. Please, just stop. I just can't do this." Dean sniffed.

"I'm sorry Dean. I didn't know you worried this much. Please don't cry on my behalf."

"I care about you, Cas. Like a lot." Dean admitted with closed eyes. Cas leaned his aching head and planted a sweet, chaste kiss on Dean's cheek. This made the hunter open his eyes immediately.

"The hell was that?" Cas felt Dean's body go stiff.

"I'm, um, I'm sorry. I just… I've had a strong fondness for you for some time now I thought it was an appropriate time to… To perhaps show you and you were upset and crying and said you care about me and I-" Castiel went on rambling and Dean had loosened his grip on the fallen angel. Dean's gaze was blank while more thoughts and words ran through his mind like a wildfire when he decided to jump into it before he lost his chance. He grabbed Cas' jaw and went in for a strong hard kiss. Castiel's rambling was cut off mid sentence and he was completely shocked. Dean didn't stop until Cas began to melt in his arms. Then Dean gently pulled away still holding Cas' head in his hand.

Neither spoke. Just stared at one another with a mix of confusion and contentment written across their features. After a few moments, Dean stood up and pulled Cas to his feet as well. Dean turned and motioned for Cas to ride piggyback. Cas tentatively got on.

Dean walked back to the bunker while Cas happily rested his head on Dean's shoulder. Cas couldn't see his face but he could tell Dean was smiling and couldn't wait to get back home.

Soon enough Dean kicked in the bunker front door and Sam looked up to see their smiles. He didn't ask any questions like, 'What happened?' or 'Is Cas okay?' not even 'Why are you so happy?'. Instead Sam just went back to reading his book, now with a knowing grin. Dean just marched right on by with Cas cuddling into the back of his neck, almost purring like a cat until he opened his eyes and saw Sam sitting there.

"Oh, uh, hi Sam...I uh...we..." He stammered. Cas moved to wiggle out of Dean's grasp, but Dean held on tighter and interrupted before anything else could be said.

"Shut-up, Cas." He happily ordered and just kept walking.


End file.
